Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, who hosted Larry Page's storm-tossed nuptials on his Caribbean island, Necker, last year, says that he and the two Google founders are working on a project together. According to a diary item in a British newspaper, the British tycoon and the two search engine billionaires are working on a secret project together. And they've given it the most awful working name:

Virgle. Although it may look like a spelling mistake, Virgle is a scheme with an environmental bent. "It's an exciting project, says the Virgin frontman. "Page also hopes to devote money to renewable energy, and that's an area in which we'll definitely collaborate." Hmm, sounds a bit nebulous to me. Both tycoons are, apparently, kite-surfing buddies.

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In the same interview, Branson speculated about the death of his friend Steve Fossett, who disappeared while trying to circumnavigate the globe in September last year. "I remain convinced that he had a heart attack. His plane crashed and he smashed into the ground, which is why we haven't been able to retrieve his body. I don't think it was a technical problem, or he would have survived." [Telegraph and Paris Match]